Star Trek: The Animated Series (TV Series) The Lorelei Signal (1973) User Reviews

Sci-Fi-Sirens...

[Xstal · 7/10 · 28 February 2022]

If you happen to see the most beautiful girl, turn right around and make off in a whirl, she'll take as much of your life force that she can expunge, leave a shadow of yourself full of holes like a sponge.

Mesmerised by shallow beauty the men of the Enterprise are hooked by space sirens who render them useless and decrepit.

Uhura in Charge

[Samuel-Shovel · 6/10 · 27 November 2018]

In "The Lorelei Signal" a strange distress call irresistibly attracts the men of the Enterprise to an uncharted planet. The planet is inhabited by a race of gorgeous females who use the males to suck the life force from their bodies. Uhura is forced to take command and rescue her male colleagues from the trap as the men begin to rapidly age. Some quick thinking by Spock and Scotty restore the men back to full health and the planet's civilization is destroyed, the women relocated.

First off, the good parts. I like the idea of space sirens. Sure, it's just cribbing off of mythology but Star Trek always does that. The super cool part of this episode is Uhura being in charge for the first time in any ST episode. I guess technically T'Pol's probably the first woman in control of a starship chronologically but it's cool they did this female empowerment back in the 70's.

Besides these two points though, there's not much else to laud here. The animation is boring as ever. Some of the plot doesn't make sense. (The women are searching for the hiding men but don't think to use the magic computer for help until Uhura asks them). And the second half is a bit of a exposition mess.

Still worth watching for Uhura in charge though.

Star Trek Meets Shaft, perfect timing for Uhura to kick butt and take names

[steelblue55 · 6/10 · 16 April 2021]

This episode features something unique to any Star Trek episode, music featuring a "waka waka" guitar. It's not as upfront in the mix as usual but it's heard during the scene when Kirk and the landing party are running from the compound to the giant vase/plant. For anyone wondering wth the sound is, play the theme to Shaft, although it's found in a lot of songs from the early 70s. ST is more known for more classical style than soul/urban music....

As to the episode, Uhura kicks butt and Nurse Chapel gets to step up too. But there are too many holes in the story to rate it high overall. I give Uhura a 10, the episode a 5, and a bonus point for music making it a 6.

Uhura takes charge

[cashbacher · 10/10 · 22 April 2020]

This episode is memorable for in it Lieutenant Uhura takes command of the Enterprise in a very forceful way. This was the first time that a female had a command position on the Enterprise. A certain area of space is known for somehow absorbing starships on a periodic basis and the Enterprise is sent to investigate. There is a colony of females on a planet and they are able to send out a signal similar to that of the Sirens of Greek mythology. Males find the sounds irresistible, while females simply find them annoying. Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and another crewman beam down and have bands placed on their heads that drain their life energy and age them rapidly. The women on the planet can remain immortal if they drain male life energy on a regular basis. Once it is clear that the males on the Enterprise are being rendered useless, Uhura takes command and then leads a rescue team down to the planet. When confronted, her "Phasers on stun, fire!" command is worthy of anything Kirk could muster. Once the opposing women are subdued, they manage to find the missing members of the Enterprise crew and restore them to health. This is my favorite episode of the animated series, aired for the first time in 1973, it featured one of several cinematic firsts, a black woman in command, that are the proud property of the Star Trek legacy.

Girl power...go Captain Uhura!

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 9 April 2015]

This story is obviously inspired by the Germanic myth of the Lorelei--sexy sirens who lure in ships to their deaths. There's even a statue to this supposed siren on the Rhine River in Germany. There also is a similarity to the old myth about the lotus eaters-- so whoever wrote this episode was obviously inspired by these ancient stories.

The Enterprise nears a planet peopled by women who somehow exude sexiness. The men, even Spock, are disabled by this and the women suck away the life juices of the men--and the guys seem oblivious to it. So, it's up to the girls of Enterprise, led by Captain Uhura, to kick butt and stop these evil she-vixens.

If you think about it, this episode seems an awful lot like a porno film minus the sex! It's mildly entertaining but, as usual, the animation is pure crap--the absolute nadir of 1970s TV animation.

Where's Zsa Zsa?!

[Hitchcoc · 5/10 · 17 March 2017]

A planet populated by women who regain their strength by sapping the energy of men. They use a siren call that seems irresistible. The males, who run things on the Enterprise, end up on this planet. All the women are beautiful and sultry. It turns out as they take on the men, the guys lose their essence. It then causes them to age, so Leonard, Jim, and Spock are showing some wrinkles and spend their days sleeping in order to return with some strength. This is a showplace for the women on the bridge who need to come to the rescue. A dumb premise and a dumb episode.